The Collegiate Sports Club has now officially registered as a sports club as it seeks to establish itself as a force for nurturing new talent. 

"Collegiate in Samoa was established in 2015 as a netball club and this year we have officially decided to be a sports club," Olivia Hogarth-Khasanova, the President and coach for the netball team said. 

"Collegiate’s meaning is ‘formed from different colleges’. 

“Our founders, Ruta Schwalger and Philippa Matatia, thought it was an appropriate name, since most of the players come from different colleges, as opposed to other clubs who are solely sourced from a particular school. 

“It was also the name of the club that Ruta has been affiliated with for over 20 years in Auckland.”

The New Zealand version of the team was the Auckland Netball Championships for four consecutive years up to 2019 and featured several Silver Ferns and A.N.Z. players. 

The players for the Collegiate teams are drawn from different schools, workplaces, and families.

Mrs. Hogarth-Khasanova said she is using sports to develop her players and aims to let everyone feel loved and appreciated.

"We want to make sure our players develop as a team and as individuals,” she said.

“We see sport as a platform where our young players can learn life skills such as decision making, time management, confidence.

“In saying that we are working on creating an environment where players feel a sense of belonging and feel safe to join without being judged."

The club has also managed to recruit new members to their list from last year, including a mix of new and experienced players.

"This year we have had a wave of new and fresh faces, our club has almost tripled this year compared to last year. Some are completely new to the sport of netball and some returning after many years," she said.

Collegiate will have six teams competing this year at the national netball league, and they are hoping to overcome all the challenges they had before.

“Three of the teams are premier league and three teams are age divisions,” Mrs. Hogarth-Khasanova said.

“Two of the teams are new, which are our men's and our Under 18s team. 

“One of the challenges we faced last year and this year is player commitment. 

“We are trying to work around player schedules and find the balance for them without affecting the team as a whole."